1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum laminating apparatus and method, and more particularly to a vacuum laminating apparatus and method which is applicable to, e.g., a manufacturing system for the solar cell module.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, a vacuum laminating apparatus was applied as a final manufacturing system for the purpose of covering the elements exposed in use to the outer atmosphere, such as semiconductor devices, in particular, solar cells. This was conducted to enhance the durability of such elements against the temperature/humidity and the external pressure.
FIGS. 17 and 18 show the material constitution of a solar cell module in the state where the materials are laminated and the state where the solar cell module is completed, respectively. In these figures, 1701 is a surface covering material, 1702 is a filler, 1703 is a solar cell element, and 1704 is a back covering material.
As one procedure of making a solar cell module, a material constituting the solar cell module is first laid down within a vacuum apparatus, and a vacuum is created to evacuate the air from between materials, or perform the so-called deaeration. Then, the materials are heated in this vacuum state. Due to heating, the temperature of material will rise up to a temperature for allowing the filler to be bridged or cured, this temperature being retained for a predetermined time until the filler is fully cured. Thereafter, the materials are cooled, and placed in atmospheric pressure again by stopping to pull the vacuum. With this procedure, the solar cell with a constitution as shown in FIG. 18 is completed.
FIGS. 20 to 22 are views for explaining the construction of a vacuum laminating apparatus which is applicable to a conventional manufacturing system for the solar cell module. FIG. 20 is an overall view, FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional structural view of FIG. 20, and FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional structural view in making the solar cell module. In these figures, 701 is a main body lid portion, 702 is a main body, 703 is a vacuum pump for the main body lid portion, 704 is a vacuum pump for the main body, 705 is a silicone rubber, 706 is a base, 707 is a heater, and 708 is a solar cell module component material.
A procedure of making a solar cell module in a vacuum laminating apparatus for the solar cell module as above described is as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 20, the solar cell module component material 708 is placed on the base 706 within the main body 702 which is opened. Then, the vacuum pump 703 for the main body lid portion is activated to create a vacuum in the main body lid portion. And after the main body lid portion 701 is closed, the vacuum pump 704 for the main body is activated to evacuate the main body of the air. When the main body lid portion 701 and the main body 702 become stable at the respective degrees of vacuum (with a vacuum meter not shown), the vacuum pump 703 for the main body lid portion is stopped to return the inside of the main body lid portion to atmospheric pressure. And the heater 707 is activated to raise the temperature up to a predetermined value, at which value the temperature is retained for a predetermined time, and then stopped to allow the cooling. If the cooling is fully achieved, the vacuum pump 704 for the main body is stopped to return the inside of the main body to atmospheric pressure, so that the solar cell module as shown in FIG. 18 is completed. Herein, the predefined temperature condition with the heater 707 involves a temperature at which the filler in the solar cell module component material can be cured or bridged. Also, the set time for maintaining such high temperature is a time for the filler to be completely cured or bridged.
However, this conventional vacuum laminating apparatus of the solar cell module is very heavy in weight, with poor operation efficiency, since the main body 702 and the main body lid portion 701 are made of metal. Also, owing to a great heat capacity of the base 706 within the main body, the temperature of the solar cell module component material 708 quite slowly rises or falls, even if the heater 707 is operated, resulting in longer time of heat treatment. Further, among the solar cells, an amorphous silicone solar cell is well suited to the constitution of larger area, but this conventional vacuum laminating apparatus for the solar cell module, having the above-mentioned structure, has a problem that it is difficult to easily construct the larger apparatus to produce the solar cell module with the larger area.
An object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum laminating apparatus and method which is simple in structure, and is capable of making the larger area, with the shorter processing time.